Members of DePaul's 2019-20 OpEd Project cohort have published more than 30 articles with national news outlets over the last several months. The faculty are working to develop their skills and increase their influence as thought leaders in their respective fields. (Image courtesy of Carolyn Bronstein)In December 2019, DePaul welcomed 20 faculty into the Public Voices Thought Leadership Fellowship Program, its 2019-20 cohort for The OpEd Project. Since the start of the fellowship period, these faculty have placed more than 35 op-ed articles with national news outlets ranging from The Hill to the Washington Post to U.S. News & World Report.
Launched at the university in the 2012-2013 academic year, The OpEd Project provides a group of diverse scholars with the resources, support and skills needed to increase their visibility and influence as thought leaders in their fields and in their communities at large. This leadership often takes shape as published op-eds, whose ideas influence not only academia but also important social and political conversations of the day.
Throughout their time in the program, cohort members receive dedicated editorial support from a designated OpEd Project mentor, work with their fellow cohort members to brainstorm topics and approaches for op-eds, and attend multiple seminars designed to expand thinking and amplify expertise.
“The OpEd Project is a significant form of professional development for faculty,” says Carolyn Bronstein, associate dean and Vincent de Paul professor in the College of Communication and founding director of DePaul’s OpEd Project. “This fellowship teaches participants to use their research expertise to evaluate and comment on public policy and popular culture approaches to the most pressing issues of our times, from climate change to immigration, voting rights, gentrification and addiction.”
Since the university partnered with the national OpEd Project in 2013, 80 DePaul faculty and staff have participated. The OpEd Project at DePaul is sponsored by the College of Communication, University Marketing and Communications, and Academic Affairs.
An up-to-date list of the 2019-20 cohort’s published works is available on the College of Communication website. Keep an eye on Newsline Daily’s DePaul In The News section for the latest published pieces.